What We Want to See in the Sony a7r V. These 7 Things Are Important

If there is one camera that has frustrated me, it’s the Sony a7r IV. In some ways, I felt Sony didn’t go far enough. And in other ways, I felt Sony just missed the boat. To this day, I still adore my Sony a7r III. And with the Sony a7r V probably around the corner, we wanted to go over what we’d like to see in this new camera. I mean, does it need to be all about the megapixels? 

Do We Really Need More Megapixels?

The Sony a7r IV stuck over 60 megapixels on a sensor. That’s awesome!. But at the same time it felt like way too much. Even 50 megapixels is a bit daunting. So do we really need more? Does Sony need to make this camera into a 100MP monster to compete with medium format options on the market? If so, then I really hope the Sony a7r V has some crazy dynamic range and color depth. 

Massively Improved Autofocus

My biggest problem with the Sony a7r IV was the autofocus. There were times that I wanted to throw it across the room. And even in her reviews, Hillary noted that the hit rate wasn’t as high as with other cameras. The Sony a7r V should be much better to use in low light and just overall. If it’s going to have worse autofocus, it’s fine if we’re getting something else that justifies the loss.

Vehicle and Bike Autofocus

This is the next evolution of things. Nikon, OMDS, and Canon have it in their cameras. Sony should bring it into the Sony a7r V. Of course, I really don’t expect it to come to this camera body before it comes to the Sony a1 or Sony a9 II. I’m dreaming here, of course. But at the same time, I shouldn’t be surprised if Sony puts it into the Sony a7r V.

Wireless Radio Flash Transmission Built Into the Camera

Here’s where things are starting to make more sense to me. The Sony a7r V should do what the industry has lacked for years. Why not build wireless radio flash transmission into the camera? The A7r series was always better for studio work than anything else. And a flash is critical to that style of work. So why do we need to buy an external radio transmitter? If Sony can put GPS, Wifi, and Bluetooth into a camera, why can’t they put a radio in? 

This alone would be a reason for me to consider buying Sony’s flashes. But it would be far better if they made it work with third parties like Profoto or Elinchrom. It would also mean that Sony has a lot more control.

Sweep Panorama RAW

Years ago, Sony had this cool feature called Sweep Panorama. I’d love to see that brought back and modified to capture raw images. The Sony a7r V should capture the photos, stitch them together into a RAW file, and then record the individual RAW files if a photographer wishes. It would make landscape photography easier.

Multiple Exposure Mode

I’ve been begging for Sony to do this for years now. Multiple exposure modes used to be available to us through the Sony PlayMemories store. But it’s been long gone. The Sony a7r V should allow users to have it. Every other camera system except for Leica has it. This would be the perfect camera for multiple exposure mode!

Touchless Shutter

With more megapixels come more concerns. I know too many photographers who don’t even know how to hold cameras properly. More megapixels mean that your own bad habits will be intensified and magnified. You’ll get camera shake. Years ago, Sony also had the cool touchless shutter feature. Basically, all you had to do was move your hand in front of the eye-sensor and the camera shot an image. Combined with a sturdy tripod, a touchless shutter could make the Sony a7r V great tool!